Aleksandra Sidorova
In awareness of breast cancer, the Pre-Med/Pre-Health Association hosted its first ever fundraising event, “Glow in the Dark Paint and Sip,” Nov. 14. The proceeds from the ticket sales will go to Susan G. Komen, an organization that invests in breast cancer research, community health and outreach.
Throughout the event, students enjoyed beverages and used paint supplies, as well as colorful glow sticks and ribbons that they took home. What attracted students most about the event was that they could also return to their dorms with a new decoration — their paintings.
“This seemed like the most fun out of all the events that I saw going on,” Undeclared freshman Hannah McLain said. “You also have a little souvenir to bring with you.”
According to club president Alexa Cariello, association aimed for a relaxed event to get students together, as COVID-19 made it difficult to host such an event.
“I came here to finally get out of my room, because I’ve been in my room for the most part, all day,” Freshman art major Kayla Lester said. “It’s already hard to do activities as is, because of the pandemic, so having this was nice.”
Bringing students together also aligns with the values of the Pre-Med/Pre-Health Association.
“Our main goal for our club, more so for pre-med students, is to make sure everyone knows we’re in the same kind of experience, and we can rely on each other,” Cariello said.
The event was organized by a team of five: Vice President Noemi Alonzo, Treasurer Melody Cristian, Secretary Sophia Augustyn, Public Relations Chair Mallory Brownell and Cariello. When planning the event, they focused on combining the main goal of the event — to raise money for charity — with an activity that students would find interesting and relaxing, with finals approaching in just a few weeks.
Lester said: “Being an art major, I’m always messing with paint and stuff, but it was nice to do something [not related to coursework], have freedom with it. And I was able to do that with my friends, so it was a nice experience.”
Cariello said the club anticipated a maximum of 50 students, but the tickets sold out on the day of the event, and even more students showed up at the doors of the Warren Ballroom. In the future, the Pre-Med/Pre-Health Association hopes to attract a wider audience to their events, as the majority of students that came to “Glow in the Dark Paint and Sip” were women.
“We’re probably going to have another fundraising event next semester,” Cariello said. “We’re going to try and make it more gender-equal. [The event] is for everyone, we just have to make that known.”
Cariello considers the event a success.
“I’m very glad with how it turned out,” she said. “It turned out a lot better than I thought it would have.”
